Liquid-dispensing nozzle



June 6, 1967 K, EHLERS 3,323,56@

LIQUID-DISPENSING Nozzms Filed March 25, 1965 5 Sheets$heet l June 6, m67' 1K. Hmm@ 3,3235@ LIQUID-DISPENS ING NOZZLE Filed March 25, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig. 2

Karlheinz Eh/@f5 nNvENToR.

ff" 05% (KMX EL Attorney June a, 1967 K. EHLERS LIQUID'DISPENSING` NOZZLE Filed March 25, v1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR: Karlheinz Ehlers June 6, 1967 K. EHLERS 3,323,569

LIQU1D-D1sPENs1NG NozzL-E Filed March 25, 1965 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FEQA June 6, 1967 K. EHLERS LIQUIDDISPENSING NOZZLE 5 Sheets-Sheet Filed March 25, 1965 Karlheinz Ehlers HNVENTOR United States Patent O 3,323,560 LIQUID-DISPENSHNG NOZZLE Karlheinz Ehlers. Gotenstrasse 20, Hamburg, Germany Filed Mar. 25, 1965, Ser. No. 442,694 Claims priority, application Germany, Mar. 26, 1964, E 19,686; Mar. 28, 1964, E 19,695 7 Claims. (Cl. 141-208) ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A nozzle for a liquid-dispensing hose of the type used for the automatic delivery and shutoff of fuel to a vehicle fuel tank and responsive to the rise of the liquid level therein whereby the rising liquid level blocks the air passage and permits a vacuum to develop in a compartment subjected to reduced pressure by the venturi effect of the fiowing fuel to release a vacuum-operated latch and trigger a valve-closure device, the nozzle containing a balltype safety valve in the housing adjacent the suction compartment and, therefore, remote from the inlet to the air passage so as to be noncontaminatable and capable of responding to even slight twisting of the nozzle to shut off fuel ow therethrough and prevent escape of fuel.

This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 337,357 (now U.S. Patent No. 3,233,641), filed Ian. 13, 1964, as a continuation-in-part of my earlier application Ser. No. 273,895 of Apr. 18, 1963, now U.S, Patent No. 3,224,472 issued Dec. 21, 1965.

The present invention relates to liquid-dispensing nozzles for nondraining hoses and, generally, of pistol-like configuration. Such nozzles are conventionally employed in the dispensing of metered quantities of gasoline or the like to receptacles such as the fuel tanks of automotive vehicles; these nozzles are provided, as set forth in the above-identified copending applications, with valves automatically operable for cutting off the fiow of liquid through the nozzles upon the attainment of a predetermined filling level in the receptacles served thereby.

In these copending applications I describe and claim a nozzle of this general type which includes a housing of pistol-like configuration attachable at one extremity to the supply hose and provided at its other extremity with a spigot. The valve means in this housing cooperates with a pressure-differential means communicating via a passage in the spigot with an opening proximal to the discharge end of the spigot. Advantageously, the pressure-differential means includes means for creating a reduced pressure on one side of a membrane or piston whose movement controls a latching mechanism for the valve body; the sensing passage in the spigot communicates with, for example, the reduced pressure compartment so that, as long as its aperture at the end of the spigot remains unblocked, the pressure differential necessary to operate the latch `and close the valve will not develop. When this aperture is blocked by the rising liquid level in the receptacle, a pressure differential immediately develops across the pressure-responsive means to operate the latch and halt 'further flow of the liquid to the receptacle.

Such structures generally are highly advantageous, especially when the air passage and the liquid outlet are formed in an integral elongated body (preferably by extrusion molding) and a ridge is provided to increase the thickness of the wall surrounding the air passage and extending along the liquid duct in such manner as to prevent turbulence in `the liquid and the blockage of the air passage. This structure is disclosed and claimed in my application Ser. No. 337,357. In application Ser. No. 273,895, I point out the advantage of an arrangement wherein the latch mechanism comprises a slotted cage whose rollers co-operate with the valve body.

3,323,560 Patented June 6, 1967 While the spigots of liquid-dispensing nozzles have been provided even before these developments with formations designed to insure that the nozzle will not spontaneously fall out of the receptacle when released by the operator, such formations have been relatively .ineffective and it is a well-recognized problem that extreme care must be taken to prevent falling, overturning or twisting of the nozzle after its valve has been latched opened if a limitless flow of liquid is not to be discharged. The significance of this problem will be recognized when it is realized that frequently an attendant cannot stand at the fuel pump While the receptacle is filling but must occupy himself in some other fashion. The weight of the hose, resilient means tending to withdraw the hose into the pumping housing, and the velocity of the pump liquid individually and collectively tend to dislodge the nozzle and permit it to fall upon the ground or to twist from its normal upright operating position. The air passage will then continue to permit air to be drawn past the membrane and thus maintain the valve in its open condition.

It has been proposed to provide devices at the lower ends of the spigots of such nozzles for preventing the continued operation of the nozzle after dislodgement as indicated earlier; such means were either inordinately complex because of the difiiculty in accommodating them to the end of the spigot and the air passage or prone to contamination when the spigot contacted the ground or was inserted into the receptacle. Moreover, systems involving the blocking of the sensing passage to unlatch the valve body were undesirable because of the large air column exposed to the reduced pressure between the aperture at the mouth of the spigot and the reduced pressure-chamber of the membrane; this large air column increases the time required to lower the pressure sufiiciently to operate the latch and close the valve.

It is the principal object of the present invention, therefore, to provide an improved liquid-dispensing nozzle with automatic cutoff and of the general type disclosed in said copending application in which the danger of large quantities of liquid flow, upon dislodgement of the nozzle of dislocation thereof, can be avoided.

It is still another object of this invention to extend the principle set forth in this copending application and provide a pistol-type nozzle with automatic prevention of leakage and flow upon deviation of the nozzle from its normal operating position.

These objects and others which will become apparent hereinafter are attained, in accordance with the present invention, by the provision, in the nozzle housing and between the differential-pressure means and the sensing passage of the spigot, of a safety valve normally out of blocking relationship with the passage but effective, upon movement of the nozzle out of its upright position to block the air passage and automatically release the latching mechanism and close the valve. By disposing this valve, which has a freely movable valve member (preferably a ball), in the nozzle housing, it is not necessary to provide complex seating arrangements in the spigot, nor is there any danger of damage to the valve or contamination thereof when the nozzle falls out of the receptacle or filling pipe.

Advantageously, the nozzle housing has a forward portion in which the spigot is received and provided with a channel registering with the air passage of the spigot to connect it with the reduced-pressure chamber of the membrane, piston or other differential pressure means; the balltype valve is then provided along this channel. Advantageously, the nozzle has a spigot extending therefrom at an angle to the axis of the valve, at least at the junction of the spigot with the housing, to enable the forward end of the housing to be `received in an upright condition by the receptacle or the filling pipe. The ball valve of the present invention should have a valve bore which extends substantially vertically in the filling position of the valve so that the ball will normally rest by its own weight against a surface remote from an upper valve seat. When the nozzle is turned on its side, inverted or even merely dropped, the upright position is no longer maintained and the ball then tends to move toward the valve seat.

According to a more specific feature of the present invention, the surface against which the ball rests in the normal or open position of the valve is spaced from the air channel so that the ball does not impede the flow of air through the passage and channel and is not affected `by the air displaced during lling of the receptacle. This surface is so positioned, however, that even a slight movement of the ball away from the surface (eg. by tilting of the nozzle) the fluid within the passage and channel will urge the ball against its seat to inactivate the latch. The volume of the compartment which must be evacuated to reduce the pressure to that at which the latch will trip is thus only the volume of the reducedpressure chamber of the diterential-pressure means and the volume of any antechamber between the latter and the air channel; thus the relatively long air column (i.e. the air passage from the housing to the mouth of the spigot) need not be evacuated for operation of the latch in response to closure of the ball valve.

According to still another feature of the present invention, the safety-valve means can also serve to cut off the flow of fluid into the receptacle in response to a timing or Volume control. Thus, a meter means (e.g. timer or tlowmeter) may be provided in the nozzle housing for displacing the valve member (ie. the ball) into engagement with its valve seat upon a lapse of a predetermined time period or delayed volume. The meter means is preferably provided with a magnet or the like while the valve member is ferromagnetic and attractable by the magnet to close the valve.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the following description, reference being made to the accompanying drawing in which:

FIG. 1 is an axial cross-sectional view through a nozzle according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged detail view of the ball valve of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary view of a nozzle similar to that shown in FIG. 1 but formed with a different type of safety valve according to this invention;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of the valve of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary axial cross-sectional view of a nozzle having metering means according to this invention.

In FIG. 1, I show a nozzle having a valve housing 1 to whose front end a spigot 5 is threadedly secured (at the boss 1 of the housing) via threads 5'; the rear end of housing 1 has a nipple 6 threadedly secured thereto for the attachment of a tting 6 connectable with a nondraining housing which, in turn, can be supplied by a fuel pump in a conventional manner. The housing further comprises a Valve seat 2 normally engaged by a valve body 4 which, in the specific embodiment shown in the drawing, is of frustoconical configuration; other, eg. diskshaped, valve bodies may also be used. A pistol-grip handle 7 is pivotally attached (at 7') to the housing 1 via a lever 7" rigid with the handle 7. The lower housing wall has a bore 1 through which the lever 7 passes and which is sealed against the exterior `by a huid-tight plug 1a of fuel-resistant rubber or other elastomeric material. Plug 1a is held in place by a split ring 1a seated in an annular groove of the housing wall. The bifurcated end 7a of lever 7" engages a rod 3 extending axially within housing 1, this rod having pins 3a forming an abutment for the lever end 7a.

Rod 3 constitutes the inner one of a pair of telescoped valve-control members slidably but nonrotatably guided in the housing 1, the outer of these members being a sleeve 3b whose slotted front end straddles the extremity '7a of lever 7". leeve 3b slidably supports the valve body Li by means of a thimble 3c rigid with this sleeve, the valve body 4 having a forward extremity 4a projectlng into the bore of thimble 3c as well as a rearward extremity 4b guided in a stationary bracket 4c.

A relatively strong coil spring 3d surrounds the sleeve 3b and is confined under pressure between a flange or thimble 3c and a shoulder 1b of housing 1. As described in application Ser. No. 273,895, a coil spring 8, weaker than spring 3d, is seated in the thimble 3c and bears upon valve body 4 so as to urge the latter rearwardly with reference to sleeve 3b and against the valve seat Z. A further compression spring 3e, also weaker than spring 3d, occupies a channel between the telescoped members. The seat-forming bushing 2a defines an annular passage 2b adjacent the path of the liquid flowing through the nozzle and adapted to generate a reduced pressure by a venturi effect, this passage communicating via an axially extending channel 2c with a further passage 15. The latter opens into the reduced-pressure compartment 9 of a differential-pressure latch assembly 11 whose membrane is shown at 1t). This latch assembly is provided With a cage containing rollers for releasably locking the valve body #t in the open condition as described in my applications identified above. A cap 24 and a bushing 24a define the compartment 9 and are removably to permit access to the ball valve A through the top of the housing 1. An aperture 9a communicates between the low-pressure chamber 9 and the channel 12 connecting this chamber with the sensing passage 14 of the spigot 5 whose aperture 14 is disposed adjacent the mouth 13 of the fuel discharge channel 13. The passage 14 is connected with the channel 12 via an annular groove 12" and a radial bore 14".

Al-ong the channel 12, according to the present invention, there is provided a blind bore 16 (FIG. 2) inclined to the main portion 12 of the channel and having a surface 16 against which the ball 17 of the valve A normally rests in an upright position of the nozzle. When the nozzle is inserted into the filling pipe of an automotive vehicle or another receptacle, the spigot 5 extends at a slight angle to the vertical so that the access of the bore 16 is substantially vertical. The bore 16 threadedly received a synthetic-resin plug 20 forming a frustoconical seat 18 for the ball 17 and has an aperture 19 interconnecting the channel 12 and the low-pressure chamber 9. The axis of the bore 16 is inclined downwardly to the axis of the channel 12 and intersects the latter above the rest position of the ball 17 so that there is no tendency for air rushing through channel 12 to entrain the ball and plug further ow. In order to facilitate the formation of the valve A, the mouth of the blind bore 16 is provided with a thread 21 engaged by the outer thread 22 of the plug 20. The latter can, for this purpose, be slotted at 23 transversely to the bore 19 to enable a screwdriver to tighten the plug.

In general, the operation of the nozzle of FIG. l is identical with that of the nozzles described in the aforementioned copending applications. Thus, the nozzle is removed from its stand on the pump, to which it can be locked by a lug 1c; the pump is started; and the spigot 5 is inserted into the lling pipe with the housing 1 in an upright condition so that the ball 17 is in the brokenline position illustrated and the handle 7 locked in an operating position in which a detent 7d engages one of the pins 1d. Rotation of the handle 7 in the counterclock- Wise sense thus urges rod 3 axially to the left until the cage of latch 11 engages this rod 3 and the sleeve 3b entrained thereby to hold them in a left-hand position. The valve body 4 is thus withdrawn from its seat 2 and fuel is permitted to flow past the opening 2b to generate a reduced pressure which is communicated via bore 2c, passage 15 and aperture 15 to the reduced-pressure chamber 9 of the differential pressure means 10 here shown a membrane although any piston means is equally suitable. Since an air passage is maintained from aperture 14 through passage 14, channel 12, bore 16, opening 19 and aperture 9a between the atmosphere and this compartment 9, no reduced pressure is developed and the nozzle operates to dispense fuel until aperture 14 is blocked. This aperture can be constricted as described in my ap plication Ser. No. 337,357 and, when blocked, prevents free flow of air into the passage 14 and the channel 12. The pressure in compartment 9 thus drops and the fluid pressure on the underside of membrane 10 biases the latter upwardly against the spring 10" to withdraw the latch cage from the sleeve 3b and permit the spring 3d to drive the valve body 4 against its seat and terminate uid flow. The detent 7d can then be disengaged to permit the handle 7 to return to its off position (FIG. 1) and the nozzle to be removed from the receptacle.

In the event the nozzle is accidentally dislodged during normal tank-filling operation, its movement out of its normal upright position displaces the ball 17, partly by centrifugal force, toward the valve seat 13 against which it is held by the pressure differential developed in the sucA tion line. The blockage of channel 12 is thus accomplished in the same manner as if liquid would cover the aperture 14 `and the latch ll'is disengaged to close the valve. When the nozzle is inverted, the weight of the ball moves it toward the seat-forming means 18.

In FIG. 3, I show a nozzle arrangement identical to that of FIG. 1 except that a valve B is substituted for the valve of the latter ligure; the valve B is shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. In this valve, the valve bore is coaxial with channel 12 and the synthetic-resin plug 31 forming seat 28 for the ball '29, is screwed into the threaded portion 32 of the bore 25. A screwdriver slot 33 is pro vided for the plug 31. The latter carries a plastic cage 26 in which the ball 29 has axial play and can rest against an abutment 26 so that the ball is out of the path of the slots 30 which are inclined in the direction of the bore 27 of the plug to permit air to flow through the valve assembly in the normal position of the nozzle without entraining the ball 29. The collective cross-section of the openings 3l) should be no less than the cross-section of channel 12 so as to preclude resistance to the ow of air when the ball 29 is in its broken-line position. As will be seen in FIG. 3, removal of the cap 24 and the bushing 24a permits adjustment of and access to the valve B. The operation of this unit is, of course, identical to that of FIG. 1. It will be understood that the slots 30 can be so dimensioned that the cage 26 forms a screen or filter for impurities which otherwise might affect the valve 28, 29.

In FIG. 5, there is illustrated an arrangement generally similar to FIGS. 1 and 3 and wherein the safety valve, there shown as valve B of FIG. 4, can also be of the type illustrated in FIG. 2. Between the cap 34 and the bushing 34a of this nozzle, a clockwork 35 (shown schematically) can be provided. This clockwork has a displaceable ring 36 carrying a unidirectionally polarized magnet which, in the proximity of the safety valve B attracts the ferromagnetic ball 29 towards its seat 28 to block the channel 12 after the lapse of a period of time determined by the clockwork. The latter brings its magnet 36 into alignment with the ball 29 after the laps of a time period determined by the position of adjustment of the knob 37. The latter can cooperate with a dial calibrated directly in gallons or liters of delivered volume depending upon the position in which handle 7 is locked by its detent.

The invention described and illustrated is believed to admit of many modifications within the ability of persons skilled in the art, all such modifications being considered within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a nozzle for a liquid-dispensing hose, having a housing connectable with said hose, and formed with a forwardly and downwardly extendingr boss in a normal upright position of said housing, a spigot connected with said boss and extending therefrom for discharging liquid fed through said housing from said hose, main valve means in said housing for selectively blocking and unblocking the passage of liquid to said spigot, latch means in said housing coperating with said main valve means for temporarily maintaining said main valve means open to permit the flow of liquid therepast, pressure-differentialresponsive means coupled with said latch means and having a reduccd-pressure compartment, said pressure-differential-responsive means including means communicating with said compartment for generating a reduced pressure therein to actuate said latch means and release said main valve means, an air passage formed in said spigot and Iopen at a location remote from said housing for drawing air into said compartment, and a channel in said housing interconnecting said compartment and said air passage to said chamber and preventing the development of a reduced pressure therein until liquid rises to said location and blocks said passages, the improvement which comprises; safety valve means in said channel of said housing between said spigot and said compartment for maintaining free flow of air from said passage to said compartment in said normal upright position of said housing and said spigot and for blocking said channel to permit the development of a reduced pressure in said compartment upon movement of said housing into an off-normal position, said safety valve means including; a bore formed in said housing substantially at the junction of said channel with said compartment and inclined downwardly and forwardly from said compartment; a ball received with clearance within said bore and freely shiftable therein between a lower position and an upper position in said normal position of said housing; and seat-forming means proximal to said compartment engageable by said ball in said upper position for blocking induction of air to said compartment past said seat forming means in said offnormal position of said housing, said safety valve means further comprising a generally cylindrical cage for said ball threaded into said bore substantially coaxial with said channel and having lopenings communicating between said channel and the interior of said cage, said seat-forming means constituting an upper end of said cage.

2. A nozzle as dened in claim 1 wherein said cage is formed with an abutment defining said lower position of said ball and the distance between said abutment and said openings is such that said ball in said lower position is substantially entirely out of the path of air flowing from said channel through said opening toward said seat-forming means.

3. A nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings are inclined inwardly in the direction of said seatforming means.

4. A nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings have a total cross-section equal to at least that of said channel.

5. A nozzle as defined in claim 1 wherein said openings form a `filter preventing the movement of impurities from said channel to said seat-forming means.

6. In a nozzle for a liquid-dispensing hose, comprising a housing connectable with said hose, a spigot connected with said housing and extending therefrom for discharging liquid fed through said housing from said hose, main valve means in said housing for selectively blocking and unblocking the passage of liquid to said spigot, latch means in said housing cooperating with said main valve means for temporarily maintaining said main valve means open to permit the flow of liquid therepast, pressure-dif ferential-responsive means coupled with said latch means and having a reduced-pressure compartment, said pressure-differential-responsive means including means communicating with said compartment fcr generating a reduced pressure therein to -actuate said latch means and release said main valve means, an air passage formed in said spigot and open at a location remote from said housing for drawing air into said compartment, and a channel in said housing interconnecting said compartment and said air passage for supplying air from said passage to said chamber and preventing the development of a reduced pressure therein until liquid rises to said location and blocks said passage; the improvement which comprises safety-valve means in said channel between said spigot and said compartment for maintaining free ilow of air from said passage to said compartment in a normal upright position of said housing and said spigot and for blocking said Channel to permit the developement of a reduced pressure in said Compartment upon movement of said housing into an off-normal position, said safetyvalve means including a ball received with clearance within said channel and freely shiftable therein between a lower position and an upper position in said normal position of said housing, and seat-forming means engage- `able by said ball in said upper position for blocking induction of air to said compartment past said seat-forming means in said olf-normal position of said housing; and meter means on said housing for controlling the quantity of liquid dispensed by said nozzle means and cooperating with said ball for blocking said channel upon the passage of a predetermined quantity of liquid through said housing, said ball being ferromagnetic and said meter means including a magnet alignable with said ball and said seatforming means upon the passage of said predetermined quantity of liquid through said housing for drawing said ball against said seat-forming means.

7. A nozzle as dened in claim 6 wherein said meter means is a adjustable timer for selectively establishing the duration of operation of the nozzle.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 978,660 12/1910 Schroeder 251-260 1,883,190 10/1932 Welcker 137-519.5 X 2,874,735 2/1959 Boone 141-208 2,888,171 5/1959 Turner 222-70 X 2,937,659 5/1960 Harris et al 137-533.13 3,205,922 9/1965 Davis et al 141-209 3,224,472 12/1965 Ehlers 141-392 X FOREIGN PATENTS Ad. 696 2/1898 Great Britain.

LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

E. I. EARLS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A NOZZLE FOR A LIQUID-DISPENSING HOSE, HAVING A HOUSING CONNECTABLE WITH SAID HOSE, AND FORMED WITH A FORWARDLY AND DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING BOSS IN A NORMAL UPRIGHT POSITION OF SAID HOUSING, A SPIGOT CONNECTED WITH SAID BOSS AND EXTENDING THEREFROM FOR DISCHARGING LIQUID FED THROUGH SAID HOUSING FROM SAID HOSE, MAIN VALVE MEANS IN SAID HOUSING FOR SELECTIVELY BLOCKING AND UNBLOCKING THE PASSAGE OF LIQUID TO SAID SPIGOT, LATCH MEANS IN SAID HOUSING COPERATING WITH SAID MAIN VALVE MEANS FOR TEMPORARILY MAINTAINING SAID MAIN VALVE MEANS OPEN TO PERMIT THE FLOW OF LIQUID THEREPAST, PRESSURE-DIFFERENTIALRESPONSIVE MEANS COUPLED WITH SAID LATCH MEANS AND HAVING A REDUCED-PRESSURE COMPARTMENT, SAID PRESSURE-DIFFERENTIAL-RESPONSIVE MEANS INCLUDING MEANS COMMUNICATING WITH SAID COMPARTMENT FOR GENERATING A REDUCED PRESSURE THEREIN TO ACTUATE SAID LATCH MEANS AND RELEASE SAID MAIN VALVE MEANS, AN AIR PASSAGE FORMED IN SAID SPIGOT AND OPEN AT A LOCATION REMOTE FROM SAID HOUSING FOR DRAWING AIR INTO SAID COMPARTMENT, AND A CHANNEL IN SAID HOUSING INTERCONNECTING SAID COMPARTMENT AND SAID AIR PASSAGE TO SAID CHAMBER AND PREVENTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF A REDUCED PRESSURE THEREIN UNTIL LIQUID RISES TO SAID LOCATION AND BLOCKS SAID PASSAGES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES; SAFETY VALVE MEANS IN SAID CHANNEL OF SAID HOUSING BETWEEN SAID SPIGOT AND SAID COMPARTMENT FOR MAINTAINING FREE FLOW OF AIR FROM SAID PASSAGE TO SAID COM- 